Packaging Insert

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a packaging insert that comprises a chamber that can be filled with an adsorbent. When the insert is positioned within a closed bottle, the adsorbent can entrap any moisture or gases generally targeted by the adsorbent selected. The insert is designed such that the container can be induction sealed with the insert positioned within the neck of the container.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a packaging insert designed to entrapgases or other volatiles sealed into a bottle or similar container. Inan alternative embodiment, the insert is designed to further restrictaccess of additional gases into the container, while still allowing thewidely used and accepted induction seal.

Many pharmaceutical and nutriceutical products are known to be moistureand/or oxygen sensitive. Thus, these products must be packaged so as tominimize the amount of moisture and/or oxygen packed with the product.This may be accomplished by packaging the products in anenvironmentally-controlled facility, but even under these conditions itis virtually impossible to eliminate all moisture or certain gases fromthe packaging facility.

The prior art teaches desiccant-containing canisters or packets orsimilar containers inserted into the pharmaceutical bottle or package.Although this was an effective means for controlling the pharmaceuticalenvironment, it could be cumbersome when inserted into a pharmaceuticalsupplied in the form of a powder that needed to be reconstituted withwater before use. In this case, the desiccant-containing canisters hadto be removed before the powder could be reconstituted, requiringadditional preparation time on the part of the pharmacist, riskingcontamination of the pharmaceutical powder as the pharmacist attemptedto remove the packet from the bottle, and creating the risk that thedesiccant packet could be punctured or otherwise damaged allowing thedesiccant to mix with the powdered pharmaceutical.

The prior art also teaches that a pharmaceutical package may be preparedfrom a polymeric material that incorporates desiccant or oxygenadsorbents. These desiccant-containing polymers may be used to form thepharmaceutical bottle or as a bottle or cap liner. However, thesesystems may require significant amounts of desiccant-containing polymerand can thus be costly to prepare.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a packaging insert that comprises achamber that can be filled with an adsorbent. The insert fits inside acontainer in such a way that it can be easily opened or removed by handor by any other small device. Typically this insert sits inside thecontainer neck. In contrast to prior art insert, the present inventionallows for induction sealing of the container with the insert positionedin the neck. For pharmaceutical and nutriceutical products, inductionseals are a preferred means of package sealing because of the highquality of the seal and because a broken or damaged seal providesevidence of prior opening or tampering.

When the insert is positioned within a closed bottle, the adsorbent canentrap any moisture or other volatiles targeted by the adsorbentselected. In an exemplary embodiment, the insert is filled withdesiccant and is intended to entrap moisture that enters apharmaceutical product bottle during the packaging and shipping process.In an alternative embodiment, the insert may be filled with an adsorbentselected to entrap other volatiles coming from the product, such asorganic compounds that can create unpleasant odors within the bottle.

The insert is designed to fit snuggly within the neck of a bottle orsimilar container. However, the insert functions to adsorb moisture ifit has a relatively loose fit in the container neck as well. When theinsert is designed to fit snuggly within the neck, the insert adsorbsmoisture and/or other volatiles within the bottle and also creates aphysical barrier to restrict access of additional gases from enteringthe container. The tight fit of the insert can also help prevent productspill.

FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an insert prepared according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the insert of FIG. 1 inserted in the neck of abottle with the pull-tab being lifted by the user;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the insert of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cut-away side view of the insert of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the insert of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a cut-away side view of a second embodiment of an insertprepared according to the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the insert shown in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The packaging insert of the present invention is intended for use incontainers having an essentially rigid opening, such as a bottle, vial,tube, jar. For the purpose of discussion herein, “bottle” will be usedgenerically to cover any of these containers.

As shown in FIGS. 1-7, the insert (10) is a self-contained unit. In anexemplary embodiment, the insert is a one-piece unit.

Referring to FIG. 4, the insert (10) has a chamber or cavity (12) thatcan be filled with an absorbent or adsorbent (14). For the purposes ofdiscussion herein, the term adsorbent will be used, but it is intendedthat the term absorbent is covered there under Adsorbents (14) that maybe used to fill the chamber (12) include, without limitation, moistureadsorbents, oxygen adsorbents, activated charcoal, molecular sieve,silica gel, clay or combinations thereof The adsorbent may irreversiblyentrap water vapor or gases, or may be selected so as to maintain aspecific gas or vapor concentration range within the bottle. The amountof adsorbent (14) may be varied as desired by the packager.

As shown in FIG. 2, the insert (10) is intended for use within a bottle(100), and preferably is proportioned to fit within a neck section (102)of the bottle (100). In a preferred embodiment, the insert is designedto fit under or within an induction seal—a sealing process commonly usedin the packaging industry. A separate cap (not shown) may be fitted overthe insert by the packager. The insert (10) is inserted into the bottleneck (102) during the bottle-filling process. More specifically: (a) theclean, dry empty bottle (100) is fed to a filling line (possibly in acontrolled environment, particularly for nutraceutical/pharma products),(b) a product (not shown) is deposited in the bottle, (c) the insert(10) is inserted into the bottle neck to a predetermined depth, (d) acap or lid (not shown) is affixed to the bottle (100), and (e) thefilled and sealed bottle (100) exits the packing line. The bottle (100)can then be labelled, packed in outer boxes, or otherwise prepared formarketing as desired by the manufacturer or packer.

From the consumer's perspective: When the consumer receives the bottle(100) with the insert (100), he or she would be expected to remove thecap or lid from the bottle (100) but will not be able to see theproduct. Rather, after having removed the cap or lid, the consumer willsee a top (28) and a pull-tab (30) of the insert (10) filling the entirebottle neck opening. The pull-tab (30) may be a flexible or rigiddesign—both of which are known in the art. The consumer can then removethe insert (10) by grabbing the pull tab (30) and pulling the insert(10) out of the bottle neck (102). Once removed, the insert (10) can bediscarded and the consumer can work with the product as necessary, e.g.reconstituting a powder. The consumer can then close the bottle (100)with the cap or lid provided by the manufacturer or packer.

The insert (10) is made of any material that will allow for moisture orgas permeation. Such materials may include, for example, polymeric orthermoplastic materials that optionally may further comprise adsorbents.Any moisture or other targeted gas that remains in the bottle during thebottle-filling process is drawn to the insert where it becomesessentially trapped in the adsorbent. Further, any moisture or othertargeted gas attempting to enter the bottle after it is filled and theinsert is positioned in the bottle neck is drawn into the adsorbentbefore it reaches the internal cavity of the bottle.

Referring again to FIGS. 1-5, the insert (10) defines a bottom (20), asidewall (22), a neck (24), a collar (26), a top (28) and a pull-tab(30). Specifically, the bottom (20) is an essentially circular pieceproportioned to fit within the bottle neck (102).

The sidewall (22) forms a cylinder defining an interior diameter (d₁)and an exterior diameter (d₂) that is securely affixed to and rises fromthe bottom (20) by a predetermined distance (h), preferably selected toextend into the bottle (100). The sidewall (22) defines a thickness (t)that should be adequate to maintain the integrity of the sidewall (22)but should also be sufficiently thin to allow a cavity (12) to remainwithin the insert (10). The sidewall (22) terminates at the insert neck(24).

The neck (24) is securely affixed to the sidewall (22) and forms acylinder defining an exterior diameter (d₃) that is greater than thesidewall exterior diameter (d₂). The neck (24) also defines an interiordiameter that may be greater than or equal to the sidewall interiordiameter (d₁), depending on how the neck (24) is formed and secured tothe sidewall (22). The neck (24) may be molded to the sidewall (22) asshown in FIGS. 1-5, or may be otherwise fixedly attached to the sidewall(22) by methods known in the art. Optionally, there may be a bead orother connection section (25) between the neck (24) and the sidewall(22), although this section is not necessary for the insert (10) tofunction as intended. In the figures shown, the insert neck (24) issized to fit snuggly within the bottle neck (102) such that a slightforce must be applied to disengage the insert (10) from the bottle neck(102). Alternatively, the insert may be sized to fit loosely within theneck (24).

Extending upward from the neck (24) away from the sidewall (22) is thecollar (26). The collar (26) is securely affixed to the neck (24) andforms a cylinder defining an exterior diameter (d₄) that is greater thanthe neck exterior diameter (d₃). The collar (26) also defines aninterior diameter (d₅) that is preferably greater than the sidewallinterior diameter (d₁). The collar (26) may be molded to the neck (24)as shown in FIGS. 1-5, or may be otherwise fixedly attached to the neck(24) by methods known in the art. Optionally, similar to the neck (24),there may be a bead or other connection section (not shown) between thecollar (26) and the neck (24), although this section is not necessaryfor the insert (10) to function as intended.

Fixedly attached to the interior of the neck (24) is the top (28). Thetop (28) may have any shape or configuration that will allow it to forma sealed cavity (12) within the region defined by the bottom (20), thesidewall (22) and the neck (26). For example, the top (28) may beslightly concave as shown in the FIGS. 1-5, or it may be essentiallyflat, or it may be slightly convex, or it may have dimples or otherpatterns. However, the top (28) must be capable of providing an adequateseal for the insert (10) that any adsorbent (14) is contained within thecavity (12).

The pull-tab (30) is a means to allow the consumer to remove the insert(10) from the bottle (100). The pull-tab (30) may be a ring secured tothe top (28) and proportioned to fit within the collar (26), as shown inFIGS. 1-5, or it may have any of several designs known in the art.Functionally, the design of the pull-tab should be such that theconsumer can use the pull-tab (30) to exert sufficient force against theinsert (10) to extract the insert (10) from the bottle neck (102).

As noted above, once removed, the insert (10) can be discarded and theconsumer can then close the bottle (100) with the cap or lid provided bythe manufacturer or packer. Alternatively, the insert (10) may be sizedsuch that the consumer can replace the insert (10) in the bottle neck(102)—similar to inserting a cork in a bottle—to provide a seal orclosure for the bottle contents without the need for an additional cap.

A second embodiment of an insert (110) prepared according to the presentinvention is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, wherein the insert (110) furthercomprises a flexible seal (200). The seal (200) may be made of aluminumfoil or plastic foil or similar materials known in the art, and isintended to provide an additional barrier against moisture and toprovide tamper resistance. The seal (200) is fitted on an upper rim(127) of a neck (126). To ensure the best adhesion of the seal (200) tothe rim (127), the neck (126) should be long enough to allow a pull tab(130) to rest within a cavity (210) formed between the seal (200) and atop (128). Preferably, the pull tab (130) should not press against theseal (200) so that the seal (200) will not be accidentally broken whenpressure is applied to the seal (200) either by the pull tab (130) or byan external force. Although not intended as a limitation of theinvention, an exemplary length of the neck (126) ranges from a fewtenths of millimeters, such as about 0.5 mm, up to a few millimeters.Similar to the first embodiment (10), adsorbent (14) may be used to filla chamber (112) of the insert (110) (not shown).

The packaging insert of the present invention is intended for use incontainers that could benefit from a controlled environment. The insertdiffers from the inserts of the prior art by providing a means to entrapany moisture or gases that enters the container, while still allowingfor induction sealing of the container. Further, the insert of thepresent development has been found to be particularly effective whenused in applications that involve induction sealing, a feature notgenerally allowed by adsorbent packaging of the prior art. It isunderstood that the composition and design of the insert and thespecific processing conditions may be varied without exceeding the scopeof this development. Similarly, it is understood that the descriptionsprovided herein are for example only and that the size and/or geometryof the insert may be varied as desired by the user to conform to thebottle or container with which the insert is to be used.

1. A packaging insert for use in containers having an essentially rigidopening, said insert comprising: (a) an essentially circular bottomproportioned to fit within said rigid opening; (b) a sidewall, definingan interior diameter and an exterior diameter, securely affixed to andextending upward from said bottom by a predetermined distance so as toform a cavity with respect to said bottom; (c) a neck, securely affixedto said sidewall, and defining an exterior diameter greater than saidsidewall exterior diameter and an interior diameter at least equal tosaid sidewall interior diameter; (d) a collar, extending upward fromsaid neck and away from said sidewall, and defining an exterior diameterthat is greater than the neck exterior diameter and an interior diameterthat is at least equal to said sidewall interior diameter; (e) a top,fixedly attached to the interior of said neck, and being proportioned soas to completely cover said cavity; and (f) a pull-tab secured to saidtop.
 2. The insert of claim 1 wherein said cavity is filled withadsorbent.
 3. The insert of claim 1 further comprising a connectingsection between said neck and said sidewall.
 4. The insert of claim 1further comprising a connecting section between said neck and saidcollar.
 5. The insert of claim 1 wherein said pull-tab is a ring.
 6. Theinsert of claim 1 wherein said insert is made from a permeable material.7. The insert of claim 6 wherein said insert is made from a polymericmaterial, a thermoplastic material, and a combination thereof.
 8. Theinsert of claim 1 wherein said insert is a single unit.
 9. The insert ofclaim 1 wherein said insert is molded.
 10. The insert of claim 1 whereinsaid adsorbent is a moisture adsorbent, an oxygen adsorbent, activatedcharcoal, molecular sieve, silica gel, clay and combinations thereof.11. The insert of claim 1 wherein said top forms a seal to contain saidadsorbent within said cavity.
 12. The insert of claim 1 wherein saidneck further defines a rim, and wherein a seal is reversibly attached tosaid rim.
 13. The insert of claim 12 wherein said seal comprises aflexible material.
 14. A packaging insert for use in containers havingan essentially rigid opening, said insert comprising: (a) a cavitydefined by a top and a bottom and sidewall, defining an interiordiameter and an exterior diameter, securely affixed to and extendingupward from said bottom; (b) a neck, securely affixed to said sidewall,and defining an exterior diameter greater than said sidewall exteriordiameter and an interior diameter at least equal to said sidewallinterior diameter; and (c) a collar, extending upward from said neck andaway from said sidewall, and defining an exterior diameter that isgreater than the neck exterior diameter and an interior diameter that isat least equal to said sidewall interior diameter.
 15. The insert ofclaim 14 wherein said cavity is filled with adsorbent.
 16. The insert ofclaim 14 further comprising a pull-tab fixedly attached to said top. 17.The insert of claim 14 wherein said insert is made from a polymericmaterial, a thermoplastic material, and a combination thereof.
 18. Theinsert of claim 15 wherein said adsorbent is a moisture adsorbent, anoxygen adsorbent, activated charcoal, molecular sieve, silica gel, clayand combinations thereof.
 19. The insert of claim 14 wherein said topforms a seal to contain said adsorbent within said cavity.
 20. Theinsert of claim 14 wherein said insert is positioned within a containersealed by an induction seal.